SSPB-001: The One Where Alya Knows from the Start
by StellarStylus
Summary: Plot bunny one-shot, up for adoption. When she saw Alya pinned against a building by an overturned car and decided to be Ladybug again, maybe Marinette shouldn't have transformed right in the middle of the street where her friend could see her.


DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Miraculous_, which belongs to Zagtoon, Method Animation, etc.

SUMMARY: When she saw Alya pinned against a building by an overturned car and decided to be Ladybug again, maybe Marinette shouldn't have transformed right in the middle of the street where her friend could see her.

NOTE: This is the first of MANY plot bunnies which I plan to write for all sorts of fandoms, all ideas to be left out and to be revisited later, but ironically, this plot bunny could stand well enough one its own as a one-shot. **Also, this is my first official fan fiction story, so please keep that in mind.**

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"The One Where Alya Knows from the Start"

by StellarStylus

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It's all fun and games until a rock-monster throws a car at you.

Alya Cesaire had been eager to get a scoop, but instead she got much more than she'd bargained for.

And now she was pinned against a building by a car.

"_HELP!"_

Alya squirmed and struggled as she tried to climb up out of it, but it was too difficult.

But when she happened to look to her right, she saw Marinette standing in the middle of the street... and _facing some small red thing floating right in front of her._

That just about made Alya's brain short-circuit.

_What._

The urge to scream for help again instantly disappeared while Alya stared at the bizarre scene unfolding just up the street.

"I think I need Ladybug!" Marinette cried.

"I _knew_ you'd come around!" the thing squeaked excitedly.

"Well, I-I'm still not sure I'm up for this... Alya's in danger, I can't just sit back and do nothing!"

But before Alya could call to her friend that she was _right over there_, Marinette shouted something else:

"_Tikki, spots on!"_

The small red creature disappeared into one of Marinette's earrings — practically _sucked_ into it — and then Marinette _transformed_-!

When the flash of light faded, Ladybug stood in her place.

Alya was only dimly aware of her jaw hanging open.

_Mind. Blown._

Not wasting any time, Ladybug instantly shot out a yo-yo — _where did that come from!?_ — and used it to pull the car out far enough to let Alya loose.

Remembering her current predicament, Alya wasted no time herself in escaping. After she got herself loose, but before she could even say anything else, Marinette — no, _Ladybug_ — strode up to her, saying, "You can't stay here, it's too dangerous." And without even breaking her stride, she retrieved Cat Noir's staff, hurled her yo-yo, and swung off after her quarries.

Only a few minutes before, Alya had been attacked by rock-people, but now she felt like a stone statue herself as she tried to process everything.

_What the heck!?_

Pulling herself together — and making sure that her camera was still unbroken and functioning — Alya hurried off after the action...

Unfortunately, Alya couldn't get there in time, but she saw the big showdown like everyone else, once enough people had uploaded it to the Internet.

If she hadn't already known that Marinette and Ladybug were one in the same, then Alya might not have guessed it.

It wasn't just the fact that they looked different enough, but barely — _really? just a ladybug-themed one-piece outfit and a matching domino mask? seriously?_ — but it was the way they acted. Marinette was a klutz with two left feet, but Ladybug fought like an expert martial artist. Marinette stammered worse than most people Alya had ever met, but Ladybug gave one heck of a speech to give hope to the city of Paris and her people. Marinette seemed to lack self-confidence, but Ladybug was fearless.

_Maybe that's why no one else seems to realize who she really is,_ Alya thought to herself with a shrug.

As she got home, Alya thought back to the earlier conversation, where Marinette seemed lack confidence in Ladybug. She jolted as she realized just why Marinette would say such things.

_She didn't think she could do it._

Well, that would explain why Ladybug hadn't shown up sooner.

_Why Marinette had only transformed again while Alya's life was in danger._

She sighed. "Oh, Marinette," she said to no one in particular.

Marinette was such a sweet girl, but darn if she didn't need a serious confidence-booster.

Alya went to bed that night, still lying awake and staring at the ceiling.

Marinette had acted cool and normal, as if she wasn't Ladybug... but Alya knew otherwise. Did Marinette know, or even suspect, that Alya knew? Alya had no idea.

Alya didn't know what to think. At first, she'd been so keen to determine Ladybug's true identity... but she had never expected it to be her own friend.

_Be careful what you wish for_, the old saying floated through her mind.

She would _never_ do anything to hurt Marinette... but she still felt like she had to do something.

Before she finally fell asleep that night, Alya had made up her mind about what to do.

The next day, Alya went over to the bakery after school. Marinette's parents identified her as one of their daughter's new friends, and they called for Marinette to come on down.

Marinette looked pleasantly surprised to see Alya there, and Alya just smiled back.

"Hi, Marinette! I just wanted to stop by and visit... well, maybe get some homework done, too! Want to talk?"

Following Marinette up to her room, Alya composed herself, steeling herself for anything.

She took a moment to look at Marinette's room. It was so nice and quaint, held the sort of things which Alya might expert for a girl who was an aspiring fashion designer... but then her eyes landed on the wall full of pictures of Adrien Agreste.

_Somebody's got a serious crush,_ Alya thought, feeling the mirth tugging at the corners of her mouth. But she kept a straight face, determined to focus on the task at hand. _Hold it together, Alya. Talk now, tease later._

Marinette sat back down at her desk and beckoned Alya to make herself comfortable in the spare chair for any guests.

_Here we go._

"Marinette... there's something I need to tell you."

Now Marinette looked a little worried. "Yes...?"

Alya took a deep breath... and then just blurted it all out:

"I know you're really Ladybug."

Alya instantly regretted it as soon as the words shot out of her mouth, looking down at her hands in her lap. _Smooth, Alya, real smooth._

Marinette jolted in her seat, stiff as a board. "Wh-wh-what?" she stammered. Alya looked up again and could see Marinette's eyes looking absurdly large, between the bulging eyeballs and the contracting pupils.

_Is she aware of how crazy her facial expressions can be sometimes?_ Alya thought, suppressing a smirk.

"I saw you transform _right in front of me_," Alya stressed. "Okay, fine, not exactly 'right in front of me' because you were a little ways up the street from me, but I still saw you just fine. Honestly, it's a good thing no one else was around to see you."

Marinette gulped. "What do you want?"

In Alya's opinion, Marinette looked like she expected to be extorted or something. Alya then had to resist the urge to smack her forehead; this wasn't the best approach.

"I just..." she trailed off, looking off to one side and then shrugging her shoulders. "I just felt like I had to tell you."

Marinette seemed to relax a little.

"So... you're _not_ going to blackmail me or anything like that?"

"What!? No!" Alya looked aghast. Scandalized, even.

Calming down a little, Alya reiterated, "No, not at all. You're my friend, I would never do that." Then she frowned. "You really thought I would do that...?"

"Well, no, not really, but..." she sighed. "Oh, please don't take this the wrong way, Alya, but I'd only just met you and I didn't you that well. I just didn't know, I swear!"

"Hey, hey, it's fine, I totally understand!" Alya said, throwing her arms up in a gesture akin to surrender. "I totally get it." Lowering her arms again, she took Marinette's hands in her own and said, "_I promise you_ that I'll never give you up."

Marinette studied the other girl's face, and somehow, deep down, she knew she could trust Alya.

"I believe you," she said softly, almost a whisper. She even found herself smiling.

"So we're still friends, then?" Alya asked hopefully.

"Friends!" Marinette exclaimed, gripping hands tighter.

Finally withdrawing, Alya leaned back and said, "Well, don't worry, your secret's safe with me! If you can trust Chat Noir, then you can trust me too!"

"Uh, actually," Marinette chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "He doesn't know my identity, and I don't know his either..."

"What!?" Alya all but shrieked. "You mean I have one over him!?"

"Hey, it's not a contest!" Marinette pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I suppose you're right," Alya conceded, calming down. "So, wait, you and Cat Noir don't know who the other one is?"

"No, I told him it wasn't a good idea... you know, just in case either of us had our identities compromised."

"...Yeah, that's a good idea."

They both lapsed into silence again as they tried to figure out what to say next.

"Wait, I just realized something," Marinette said, looking up again. "What about the Ladyblog?"

Alya thought about it. She honestly didn't know what to do with it now. Finally, she looked Marinette straight in the eye and said, "Honestly... maybe _you_ should decide. If you want me to keep it running, sure... but if you want it gone, then just say the word and I'll delete it."

Marinette seemed unsure. "I'm not telling you to get rid of it... but why would I want to keep it?"

"Come on, Marinette, even superheroes need allies," Alya insisted. "Not to mention good PR," she added as an afterthought.

Marinette thought about it before she finally gave an answer. "I'm not saying no, but... do you think you could keep pretending you don't know me? And if you did, then you probably shouldn't claim to be Ladybug's best friend, either, because _that_ might put a huge target on your back."

All good points. "Don't worry, we can keep that secret too. Granted, we'll probably need some super-secret way of communicating, like throw-away email accounts and junk like that, but it's still totally doable."

Marinette was still hesitant, but before long, she was onboard with the idea. "We'll have to be very careful, but I don't see why not!"

"Yes!" Alya declared, pumping her fist into the air. Marinette just laughed.

But then as Alya composed herself, she realized something else. "Wait, one other thing: Who or what were you talking to, before you got me out of that mess? That little red thing floating in front of you? The thing that flew into your earring as you transformed?"

Marinette's eyes bulged again. "Uh..."

_Honestly, if she keeps making those wacky facial expressions, I just might make a meme out of it_, Alya silently chuckled. "What, you can't tell me?"

Marinette sighed. "Oh, fine," she said at last. Calling out as if someone else was in the room, she said, "Tikki, the jig is up. You can come on out if you want."

The small red being — Alya didn't know what else to call it — crawled out from under Marinette's bed and floated over to Alya, its large blue eyes practically shining. The other girl couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Uh... hello?" she said at last.

"Hi, I'm Tikki," the thing exclaimed in that cute little voice again.

_Ella and Etta would think this thing was a toy and do all sorts of things to get a hold of it,_ Alya thought in regards to her little twin sisters. _But enough of that; just act cool!_

"Well, nice to meet you, Tikki," she said. "I'm Alya. I'm Marinette's friend."

"I know, and it's nice to meet you too!"

"Can I ask a little more?" Alya inquired to both Marinette and Tikki. "And don't worry, this is _all_ strictly 'off the record' and I'm not reporting any of it!"

"Long story short, Tikki is a kwami," Marinette said. "Well, you could say she's _my_ kwami, partnered up with me, and she helps give me my powers."

"This... is... awesome!" Alya declared. "You really do get to be a superhero! I'm not jealous, really, but I'm just so happy for you!"

Now Marinette had a funny look on her face. "Marinette, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just... well..." Marinette's eyes kept darting elsewhere, like she couldn't look at Alya or Tikki.

"Oh c'mon, girl, spill."

Marinette sighed. "Oh, it's just... well..." Finally looking up again, and addressing the both of them, the pigtailed girl said, "I almost threw in the towel after my first run, when I didn't catch that first evil butterfly in time. I took off the earrings and put them back in the box which someone left them in for me, and I was seriously thinking of anonymously giving them to someone else so that person could be Ladybug instead."

Alya was shocked, but Tikki seemed to take it even worse. "MARINETTE!" the kwami squealed. "You really shouldn't have done that!"

Marinette scrunched her eyes shut. "I know, Tikki, I'm sorry," she moaned.

"I'm not mad at you, Marinette," Tikki reassured her partner, taking on a softer tone, "but I wouldn't advise doing that again."

Marinette put her hand to her forehead, covering her eyes, and feeling sad for her, Tikki floated over and rubbed up against Marinette's cheek. "It's okay, Marinette, I'm not mad at you. I know this is all still new to you. But you wouldn't have gotten them if you weren't worthy of them."

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette murmured, uncovering her face and smiling again.

The scene was so cute, it almost melted Alya's heart. However, maybe it would help if she got them back on track. "So," she continued, "who were you trying to give it to?"

Now Marinette looked sheepish. "Well, you did say you weren't scared of anyone when I asked if you wanted be a superhero and fight monsters and villains, so..."

Alya's eyes widened as all the metaphorical pieces fell into place. "No way," she gasped.

"Yeah, I did," Marinette admitted. "I slipped the box with the earrings into your bag. And then, when you got pinned by that car, I got them back and used them, and you know all the rest."

Alya felt strangely flattered. "I'm touched, I really am."

"Sorry you didn't get a chance to be Ladybug," Marinette added meekly, as if it was actually something to sound sorry about.

Alya dismissed it without batting an eye. "Pfft, don't worry about it," she waved it away. "Maybe one day I'll get a chance to be a superhero... but for now, I'm just happy being your friend and Ladybug's ally," she told Marinette. "That is, if you'll let me," he added hastily.

Marinette smiled. "Alya... I don't think I could have asked for a better friend, or ally, than you."

Alya was _glowing_ with pride and happiness at that. "And I'm glad I'm your friend too, Marinette."

Pulling herself together, she leaned forward a little and offered her hand to Marinette.

"So... here's to being friends and allies? Deal?"

"Deal!"

They shook hands on it.

"So, want to stay for dinner? My dad makes a mean pizza..."

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: So yeah, I got this plot bunny in my head after watching the "Origins" story. Somehow, despite Marinette transforming into Ladybug right in the middle of an open street, no one saw her, not even Alya. But what if Alya did witness that?

In my mind, Alya kind of plays Chloe Sullivan to Marinette's Clark Kent, to use the TV series _Smallville_ as a metaphor: the journalistic best friend who has no idea who the hero really is, at least not in the beginning. (Although that could make for another plot bunny, to jump back into that other fandom..)

Also, imagine the ramifications of Alya knowing that Marinette is Ladybug from the get-go? For one thing, "Lady Wifi" might not happen; because Alya doesn't feel the need to find out who Ladybug is, she doesn't go snooping through other students' lockers, thus doesn't incur Chloe's wrath, thus doesn't get booted out of school for it, and thus doesn't get akumatized. "The Pharaoh" might also play out differently, what with Marinette NOT needing to distract Alya with a past Ladybug appearing in the ancient Egyptian papyrus.

Finally, a BIG shout-out to SpaceBattles user **Excalibur2008**, for pointing out how Alya was originally supposed to know about Marinette being Ladybug, which even got as far as the storyboard before it was ultimately jettisoned. I had no idea until I was almost done writing this.

**If anyone wants to play with this idea, go ahead and please let me know!**


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